The Journal of Cell Biology

The Journal of Cell Biology
Title	The Journal of Cell Biology
Discipline	Cell biology
Abbreviation	J. Cell Biol.
Publisher	Rockefeller University Press
Country	United States
History	1955–present
Frequency	Biweekly
Openaccess	Delayed
Impact	10.2
Impact-year	2024
Issn	0021-9525

The Journal of Cell Biology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research in cellular structure and function. Founded in 1955, it publishes original research, reviews, and methods on topics ranging from membrane trafficking to cytoskeletal dynamics. The journal has been associated with institutions and figures across Rockefeller University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Max Planck Society, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

History

The journal was established in 1955 under the aegis of the Rockefeller University Press with editorial stewardship influenced by scientists affiliated with Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, and Yale University. Early decades saw contributions from researchers connected to Albert Einstein College of Medicine, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Chicago, and Uppsala University, reflecting international collaborations with labs at Institut Pasteur, Karolinska Institutet, and ETH Zurich. During the 1970s and 1980s, landmark techniques developed in groups led by investigators linked to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Salk Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Duke University, and University of California, San Francisco changed the journal’s profile. The journal navigated shifts in publishing following policy changes at organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust while interacting with initiatives from Council of Scientific Editors and Committee on Publication Ethics.

Scope and Content

The journal emphasizes cellular mechanisms studied using approaches from laboratories associated with MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Broad Institute, and Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics. Topics include membrane biology linked to researchers at University of Cambridge Department of Biochemistry, cytoskeleton research tied to University of California, Berkeley, organelle dynamics connected to Weizmann Institute of Science, cell signaling intersecting with work from Imperial College London and University of Tokyo, and developmental cell biology echoing contributions from Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Toronto. The journal also features methodological advances originating from groups at European Bioinformatics Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, and Addgene-linked labs.

Editorial Leadership and Peer Review

Editorial boards have included editors and advisors who have held positions at Rockefeller University, Harvard Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Peer review policies evolved alongside standards promoted by Committee on Publication Ethics, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, and funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation and European Research Council. The journal’s editorial process has engaged subject-matter experts affiliated with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, University of Washington, New York University School of Medicine, and University of Michigan Medical School to adjudicate submissions.

Publication and Access Model

Published by Rockefeller University Press on a biweekly schedule, the journal transitioned through print and digital formats much like titles from Nature Publishing Group, Cell Press, and Oxford University Press. Access policies have been influenced by mandates from the National Institutes of Health, the Wellcome Trust, and the UK Research and Innovation framework, with hybrid and delayed open access provisions that mirror practices at Public Library of Science and Biomed Central. Production and archiving workflows have interfaced with infrastructures at PubMed Central, CrossRef, and Portico.

Impact and Reception

The journal has been cited alongside landmark publications in venues such as Nature, Science (journal), Cell (journal), and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Its influence is reflected in citations by researchers at Broad Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Max Planck Society, Institut Pasteur, and clinical laboratories at Mayo Clinic. Recognition and critique have appeared in discussions involving policymakers from the National Institutes of Health and funders like the Gates Foundation and Howard Hughes Medical Institute concerning reproducibility, data sharing, and publication ethics.

Notable Articles and Contributions

The journal published seminal reports from laboratories affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Stanford University on cytoskeletal motors, influential membrane-trafficking studies linked to Yale University and University College London, and important organelle biogenesis work connected to Max Planck Institute. It disseminated early electron microscopy and live-cell imaging studies produced by investigators at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, University of California, San Francisco, and EMBL. Contributions from groups associated with Rockefeller University, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, and Weizmann Institute of Science have been foundational for fields such as endocytosis, exocytosis, autophagy, and mitosis.

Category:Biology journals Category:Cell biology Category:Rockefeller University Press